20th February 2012

Students at Queen’s University have been given a unique insight into life as ‘tomorrow’s leaders’ thanks to a new programme run by leadership development organisation Common Purpose.

The four-day course, called Frontrunner, is aimed at enhancing student employability by letting students explore leadership outside of the lecture hall, and was available to undergraduates within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s.

Students were given the opportunity to visit organisations from every sector, meet leaders from a range of business backgrounds, consult on real life business challenges and try their hand at leading teams.

A survey, by Common Purpose, found that out of 100 people in leadership positions in Northern Ireland that were questioned, 90 per cent thought it was important for experienced leaders to help the leaders of tomorrow.

Professor Shane O’Neill, Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s, said: “This experience was an invaluable one for students as it allowed them to explore issues of leadership beyond the classroom and to develop a practical understanding of some of the key challenges of modern working life.”

Claudine Sutherland, Northern Ireland Director for Common Purpose, said:

“Tomorrow’s leaders, more than any other generation will need the confidence and determination to be a different type of leader.  Our Frontrunner course is aimed to help students be more aware of how Northern Ireland works and their own capacity to lead, not just manage.  It brings together high potential individuals from a range of backgrounds and challenges them with different leadership perspectives.” 

Maria Lee, Head of Education and Skills Development at Queen’s University, said: “It is important that we provide opportunities for students to develop their employability skills. Leadership programmes like these enable our students to gain a competitive edge in the graduate market.”

External contributors who got involved included senior managers from Invest NI, PSNI, Bryson Charitable Group, The MAC, PricewaterhouseCoopers, British Council, Ulster Bank and Lighthouse.

 
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